in ancient customs and law-books, denotes the advocate of a church, religious house, or the like. There were advowees of cathedrals, abbeys, monasteries, &c. Thus, Charlemagne had the title of advowee of St Peter's; King Hugh, of St Riquier; and Bolandus mentions some letters of Pope Nicholas, by which he constituted King Edward the Confessor and his successors advowees of the monastery at Westminster, and of all the churches in England. These advowees were the guardians, protectors, and administrators of the temporal concerns of the churches, &c.; and under their authority were passed all contracts which related to them. It appears also, from the most ancient charters, that the donations made to churches were conferred on the persons of the advowees. They always pleaded the causes of the churches in court, and distributed justice for them, in the places under their jurisdiction. They also commanded the forces furnished by their monasteries, &c. for the war; and even were their champions, and sometimes maintained duels for them.

This office is said to have been first introduced in the fourth century, in the time of Stilllico; though the Benedictines do not fix its origin before the eighth century. By degrees men of the first rank were brought into it, as it was found necessary either to defend with arms or to protect with power and authority. In some monasteries they were only called conservators; but these, without the name, had all the functions of advowees. There were also sometimes several sub-advowees or sub-advocates in each monastery, who officiated instead of the advowees themselves; which, however, proved the ruin of monasteries, those inferior officers running into great abuses.

Hence also, husbands, tutors, and every person in general who took upon him the defence of another, were denominated advowces or advocates. Hence several cities had their advowces, which were established long after the ecclesiastical ones, and doubtless from their example. Thus, we read in history of the advowees of Augsburg, of Arras, &c.

The vidames assumed the quality of advowees; and hence it is that several historians of the eighth century confound the two functions together. Hence also it is that several secular lords in Germany bear mitres for their crests, as having anciently been advowees of the great churches.

Spelman distinguishes two kinds of ecclesiastical advowees: the one, of causes or processes, advocati causarum; the other, of territory or lands, advocati soli. The former were nominated by the king, and were usually lawyers, who undertook to plead the causes of the monasteries. The other, which still subsist, and are sometimes called by their primitive name, advowees, though more usually patrons, were hereditary, as being the founders and endowers of churches, &c. or their heirs.

Women were sometimes advowees, advocatissae; and the canon law mentions some who had this title, and who had the same right of presentation, &c. in their churches which the advowees themselves had. In statute 25 Edw. III. we meet with advowee paramount for the highest patron; that is, the king.